Strange Condition
by Lokaia
Summary: *GASP*! NOT-SLASH!! Cat/???
1. It's Got Me Outta My Head

Strange Condition  
By Lokaia  
Disclaimer:: Not mine. If it was, I'd make the entire show cute little slashy/romance-y scenes with a couple of gory action things thrown in every once in a while. But alas... not mine.  
Summary:: Cat/???. But I CAN tell you that it's not slash. *GASP*! Lokaia? post non-slash on FF.net?? HAS THE WORLD GONE TOPSY-TURVY???  
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"Stop preening," Suzee scolded. She placed her hands on her hips and glared at Cat. "Come on! Isn't there something else to do besides watching you brush the blue section of your hair six thousand times?"  
  
Cat hardly noticed her friend's speech, staring at her reflection in the mirror. She ran the brush through her hair thoughtfully and propped her chin onto her hand. There was a pause and she glanced back at Suzee. "Did you say something?"  
  
Suzee sighed. "Come ON. Harlan and Radu are playing minbar chess and I want to watch."  
  
"Why do you want to WATCH?" Cat demanded. "You know they take forever to finish a game."  
  
Suzee only grinned. "Exactly. Harlan looks the best when he's scaring the daylights out of Radu, and Radu looks best when he's got the daylights scared out of him. And whenever they play a game together, that's what happens." She groaned out loud when Cat dropped her chin onto her hand again. "Cat--"  
  
"Suzee, I really don't want to watch you drool over Radu and Harlan today," the Saturnian interrupted. She reached for the brush again, ignoring Suzee's groans.  
  
Suzee leaned against the wall, folding her arms. "What's been with you lately? Besides classes and meals you never want to talk to anyone else."  
  
Cat began to work on the yellow ring of her hair. "That's not true. I was in the command post with Harlan yesterday."  
  
Suzee snorted. "Helm duty. Goddard made you, and you know it. Besides, you weren't exactly having a lively conversation."  
  
"He had nothing interesting to say," Cat protested, but Suzee noticed a slight coloring in the Saturnian's pale cheeks.  
  
The Yensidian raised an eyebrow. "Nothing, huh?" Her eyes narrowed in thought. "You were kind of talkative to begin with... and then Harlan started talking about--" Suzee paused, a grin passing over her face. "Girls. Harlan started talking about girls he used to date." Laughter fought to escape from Suzee's lips. "Wow. No wonder you don't want to go watch him play."  
  
"Shut up," Cat snapped, dropping the brush with a bang. She stood and walked from the bathroom.  
  
Suzee followed her quickly. "What's the big deal? He's gorgeous. Now if he'd only shut up every once in a while..."  
  
"Shut UP, Suzee," Cat replied, throwing herself onto her bunk.  
  
Suzee sat beside her, watching the Saturnian curiously. "Look, Cat, I know he's annoying, but... it's not anything to be ashamed of."  
  
"Says you," Cat mumbled into her pillow.  
  
Suzee paused. "Okay," she said slowly. "Well... what is there to be ashamed of exactly?"  
  
After a moment of silence, Cat turned her head towards her friend. Without looking her in the eyes, she sighed. "It's... it's just... it's not that easy, Suzee. And... and he doesn't like me like that."  
  
"How do you know?" Suzee asked.  
  
"He just doesn't."  
  
Suzee rolled her eyes and sighed. "With me as your best friend and you STILL don't know how to get a guy to fall for you?"  
  
"Maybe I just don't want to do it your way," Cat grumbled. "Maybe I want it to actually mean something."  
  
"Don't be stupid," the Yensidian replied. "Boys are there for attraction's sake. There's not much else. I say just kiss him. What have you got to lose?"  
  
"Dignity, pride, respect, brain cells--"  
  
"Okay," Suzee interrupted. "Forget that part then. Why don't you just tell him? He'd tell you."  
  
Cat paused, idly fingering the fabric of her bedspread. "Well... because. He wouldn't tell me about that. He's... shy about that stuff."  
  
"Shy?" Suzee repeated. "Are we talking about the same Harlan?"  
  
"No." It was said bluntly and Cat didn't wait for Suzee to react before continuing. "He doesn't act like Harlan... usually does. He's sweeter, kinder. Different. I don't know how to act around him." Cat paused, and Suzee, a bit out of her element, waited for her next words. "I... I tried to talk to him today. Without thinking about it, so that didn't work very well."  
  
There was a beat of silence that Suzee quickly filled. "What did you say?"  
  
The Saturnian shrugged. "I just started talking about how being at the Starcademy was for me. That I was an outcast. I thought he'd like to know."  
  
Suzee grinned. "Guilt. Okay, now THAT I can handle!"  
  
"No," Cat said quickly. "It wasn't guilt. It was something I thought he'd like to know." She paused and sighed. "I guess I was wrong."  
  
"Why? What happened?"  
  
"He... he listened to me, and responded and everything. But... I don't know. He didn't progress the conversation any more than that. I guess he just thought I was getting it all off my chest."  
  
Suzee nodded. "And then?"  
  
"Then he had ComPost duty, so he left."  
  
"Well, Cat, it's obvious what you have to do!" Suzee chided. "Just tell him! Everyone knows you two like each other. Once you bring it out into the open, you can stop being such a wimp around him."  
  
Cat sat up on the bed, shaking her head. "No... I don't think I will. Forget it, Suzee. Let's go watch the minbar game." She jumped to her feet and out the door, trailing Suzee behind her.  
  
Suzee stopped very suddenly in the corridor. "Wait a minute," she said slowly. "Harlan didn't HAVE ComPost duty today...."  
  
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"What do you mean you know why she's not here?" Harlan demanded.  
  
There was a shrug. "When she talked to me earlier, she seemed kind of depressed. I think she wants to be alone."  
  
Harlan scoffed. "How alone can you get with your imaginary friend around all the time? Come on, Radu, what really happened?"  
  
"I told you," the Andromedan protested. "She was talking to me about how lonely she was at the Starcademy. She seemed really upset about something. I wish I knew what it was."  
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((A/N:: Oh, come on. Like I could do a fic without the Christa slut? WAKE UP, PEOPLE!!)) 


	2. I Don't Know What I Came For

Title:: Strange Condition  
  
Author:: Lokaia  
  
Disclaimer:: See Chapter 1  
  
Summary:: See Chapter 1.  
  
(A/N) Was finally convinced to go a little deeper into this story. This is as far as it will go, though, so I hope you all enjoy it for what it is--cute, and pretty angsty!  
  
--  
  
Catalina frowned at the empty seat beside her. "Are you sure, Suzee?" She paused and glanced back at her compupad. "I don't know.. it doesn't seem like it all adds up." The Saturnian rolled her eyes and sighed. "Yes, I *know* you're an engineering genius, Suzee, but you could still be wrong! Oh, you're impossible!" Without giving the other occupants of the room a second glance, Cat left the room, bickering with the space beside her.  
  
Harlan watched her leave and shook his head. He glanced at Radu, sitting opposite him. "Are you going to move or not?"  
  
Radu's eyes had narrowed in concentration as he stared at the chessboard. Slowly, he raised a hand, letting it hover above one of his pieces. He held it there for a moment before setting it down again with a shake of his head.  
  
Harlan sighed and dropped his face in his hands. His fingers spread enough to peek through the spaces to the doorway. "Radu," he said suddenly. "What do you think of Cat?"  
  
"Huh?" the Andromedan looked surprised and slightly confused. "What?"  
  
"Cat," Harlan repeated, raising his voice in annoyance. He felt some remorse when the Andromedan winced, but wasn't in the mood for apologizing. Maybe he didn't hate Radu anymore, but that was no reason to become best friends. "What do you think of Cat? And the whole Suzee deal. Think she's nuts?"  
  
Radu frowned in thought, surveying the board again. "I don't know. Not crazy, no. She's too smart for that. Maybe she's just.. lonely."  
  
"So she made up a friend?" Harlan glared at the Andromedan, half in disbelief and half in annoyance that Radu had yet to take his turn. "I don't know. I don't think anyone's lonely enough to keep their imaginary friend after they're five."  
  
"Well," Radu began, looking a bit apprehensive towards Harlan's reaction. "Maybe not lonely then. Maybe she's.. maybe she's *brave*."  
  
"Brave?" The disbelief in Harlan's tone was thick enough to cut with a knife. "How is that brave?"  
  
Radu avoided the human's eyes, studying the game board. "She didn't have a lot of friends, right? Maybe.. maybe dealing with that, and-and with losing her family and everything.. she kept the only friend that had been there since the beginning. No matter what anyone else said." He looked up for a moment, meeting Harlan's gaze. Seeing only blankness in his dark eyes, Radu averted his gaze again and shrugged. "Well.. I kind of think it's brave."  
  
"Brave." Harlan glanced back at the doorway, resting his chin on his palm. He thought back to.. well, not very long ago actually, when he had last made fun of Suzee to Catalina's face. The Saturnian had smiled and insulted him in a way that was so good, even Harlan had to admit it. But then.. when she had thought he wasn't looking.. she had looked so disappointed, so alone. And under her breath, Harlan had heard her say, "It doesn't matter, Suzee. I'm fine, really. I'll never ignore you.."  
  
Even before that, back at the Starcademy when Harlan could barely remember the Saturnian's name most of the time. He and his, admittedly large, group of friends had taken great pride in the insults they could conjure. Harlan's old friend, Nick, had had a class with Cat and had brought her to their attention one day during lunch.  
  
"Watch this," the older Earther had muttered to Harlan with a smirk. "We'll have some fun." He stood from his place at the table and waved to a pretty Saturnian across the room. "Hey!" he cried, waving. "Over here!"  
  
The girl, probably a year or so younger than Harlan, had turned towards them, an uncertain look on her face. Nick kicked Harlan under the table. "Just play along."  
  
Harlan had grinned, standing and waving for her. The girl had smiled then, slowly making her way through the large crowd with her food tray.  
  
"Hi," she said, finally reaching their table. She smiled shyly. "You're Nick, right? I'm Cat." Her smile grew and she let out a relieved breath. "I'm glad you asked me to sit here. I don't know anyone here and I-"  
  
"I'm sorry," Nick interrupted, an apologetic look on his face. He gestured to the empty seat at their table. "See, I was waving to *Suzee*."  
  
Cat's face dropped immediately. "Suzee?" Harlan asked.  
  
"Oh yeah," Nick said, turning to Harlan. "See, Cat, here has an imaginary friend named Suzee. An engineering genius."  
  
Harlan laughed. "No, really. Who's Suzee?"  
  
"No. Really." Nick grinned. He turned to Cat. "Isn't that right? Where's Suzee from again?"  
  
The Saturnian didn't answer, lips in a thin line in what Harlan translated as trying not to cry.  
  
"Well, anyway," Nick continued. "Suzee is from *another dimension*."  
  
Harlan raised an eyebrow at his friend, sparing a glance at the girl in front of them. "Another *dimension*," he repeated, fully expecting a joke.  
  
"Oh yeah." Nick tried to put on a serious face. "Didn't you know, Harlan? *All* imaginary friends come from other dimensions! Isn't that right, Cat?"  
  
Returning his gaze to the Saturnian before them, Harlan saw the girl's face flush in embarassment and anger. "Suzee is *not* imaginary. She's *invisible*. There's a DIFFERENCE!" The last word was a shout, accompanied by the slamming of her lunch tray down on the table. With most of the cafeteria staring at her, Catalina whirled around and stormed from the room.  
  
After standing in shocked silence for a moment, Nick turned to Harlan, laughing. "What'd I tell you? Fun!"  
  
"What a nut job," Harlan laughed. The rest of the period was spent without another word towards the Saturnian.  
  
"Harlan?"  
  
The Earther turned back towards Radu in surprise. The Andromedan smiled slightly and gestured to the board. "It's your turn."  
  
Harlan glanced down to see the position of a black pawn moved in a completely unimportant position. He could even see an extremely simple way for him to claim the Andromedan's queen.  
  
"Harlan?"  
  
The Earther took his turn. Lifting his head, he met the Andromedan's eyes. "Your check."  
  
Radu's eyes widened as he surveyed the board. "But.. you *knew* that was going to happen. Why did you move there?"  
  
Harlan shrugged. "Wanted to finish it. I'll talk to you later, okay?" Rising from his seat, Harlan left the room in the direction Cat had.  
  
--  
  
"Suzee, will you *go* away?! I'm not going to tell him!.. No, I don't care if you know! Until you find a way to communicate with him, I couldn't care less if you know who I like!"  
  
Harlan stopped outside the girls' bunk, waiting.  
  
"*Grozit*, can we talk about this later?" Cat was snapping. "Because I don't want to right now!" Harlan could hear her stomping angrily about the room. "Suzee, *no*! I'm not going to tell Radu I like him, and there is *nothing* you can say to change my mind!"  
  
Harlan experienced a feeling he didn't get very often. A feeling of something deep in the pit of his chest deciding to go and visit the soles of his feet. It was *not* a pleasant feeling.  
  
He was so caught up in his own emotions and thoughts, he didn't even realize Cat had left the room until she had smacked right into him.  
  
Cat grumbled, practically baring her teeth in anger. "You should watch where you're going, Harlan!"  
  
Dazed, Harlan nodded, standing and offering the Saturnian a hand up. "Yeah, you're right."  
  
Cat stared at him from her position on the floor. "I'm.. I'm what?"  
  
"Right." Finding her completely unresponsive, Harlan reached down and hauled her up by the wrists. "Um.. I came down to get you. Command duty today.. you know?"  
  
"Yeah, I remember." Catalina was still looking at him as though he were a few planets short of a system. "Er.. are you feeling all right?"  
  
Harlan's wide grin didn't seem too forced. "Me? I'm just fine. I'd be more worried about how *you're* doing, Rainbow Head. The commander's supervising ComPost duty today."  
  
Cat rolled her eyes as they began to walk down the corridor. "Oh, please. Harlan Band, you think you're the greatest thing in the universe."  
  
"Yep!" Harlan said with a smug smile.  
  
"And I can't wait until the right girl sends you crashing down from your high pedestal," Cat finished.  
  
Harlan only laughed. "Jeez, Cat, who needs 'the right girl' when you're right here? Doing it for her!"  
  
Laughing, they made their way to the jumptubes, neither quite realizing the hold they still had on each other's hands.  
  
--  
  
"What's going on?" Commander Goddard demanded, fighting for balance in the rocking of the ship.  
  
"It's not us, Commander!" Harlan replied. He grabbed onto the helm's crystals, half to control the ship, and have to control his balance. "The Christa's gone crazy! It's not responding at all!"  
  
The crew fought to regain control of a ship who reported all systems were online, but would not allow her crew to access them. Slowly, very slowly, the rocking of the Christa subsided as she came out of hyperspace. As the crew began to survey their surroundings, Harlan gaped in surprise.  
  
"Look! On- on the screen!"  
  
Cat followed his gaze, her eyes growing wide. "It's- another Christa!"  
  
.. 


End file.
